Improving your MBA profile – 40 ways to an awesome MBA application!

Last updated on February 12th, 2016

Reading Time: 21minutes

Most MBA grads will tell you that an MBA from a premier B-school can change your career and life in general in a myriad of amazing ways. Most of them will also tell you that getting into a top B-school requires you to have a stellar B-school profile and a rock-solid application.

If you have your eyes set on a B-school this year or next year, you probably fit in one of the below categories:

1. You have great work experience, but are hampered by an average academic record. Or, you are an academic achiever, but you’ve worked at a lack-lustre job for a few years, without much to set you apart.

2. Your career and academic performance have both been noteworthy, but you are not sure if you have that ‘x’ factor in your profile which can differentiate you amidst a set of similar achievers.

3. You have had a great career, an academic record that you can be justifiably proud of, and a differentiating factor or two- but you are wondering what you can do to improve your chances even further!

Well, there’s a lot you can do! We have compiled a list of 40 things that can add sheen to your application. Some of these ideas will directly benefit your profile, while some will have an indirect bearing. Even working on a handful of these tips will improve your candidacy and impress the adcom!

1. Learn a new language

With B-schools trying to increase diversity in their classrooms, working knowledge of a foreign language will boost your profile. And did you know that learning new languages helps improve brain function?

It is observed that learning new languages results in improved conversational abilities, better study skills, and heightened concentration- all of which you can channel to help with the GMAT and your interviews. So go ahead, enrol for a language course and impress the adcoms with your knowledge of French, Spanish or what-have-you. To do next : Check out DuoLingo, a great app for learning a new language! Need more inspiration?Watch this TED talk about how to hack language learning!

2. Start a Small Business

Try your hand at a start-up idea. Start small- you could even try a solo venture. You can work independently as a part time photographer, web designer, caterer, or handmade artifacts designer online. Though this is a microcosm of the business universe, you will get exposure to the world of pricing, marketing, and other business functions.

To do next : The internet is choc-a-block with ideas for entrepreneurship. To start with, you can find some interesting business ideas here. Read this page to understand how you can use Facebook to take your business to your customers.

3. Volunteer in your Community

Besides giving you a wider, more humane perspective, the experience of volunteering for your community can improve your ability to take initiative and hone your interpersonal skills. A volunteering stint could also be a great place for you to network.

You could take the initiative to conduct seminars and talks for school kids on awareness about issues like drug abuse, sexual abuse, adolescent health, staying safe online, etc. Imagine the multitude of skills you can learn through such an experience! You will learn how to communicate across age-groups, you will hone your speaking skills, and you will learn valuable facts about these issues that you could dispense to the benefit of everyone around you.

What’s the B-school angle, you ask? This will reflect to the Adcom your commitment to social responsibility, your ability to take initiative, and your organizational and leadership skills.

To do next : Check out iVolunteer, a social enterprise that has a presence in most major cities in India and that can help you find the right volunteering experience for you.

4. Pursue your favorite Sport

If you gave up your involvement in a sports team in school so you could focus on academics, it is now time to pick up where you left off. Playing sports inculcates the ability to work in a team to achieve a common goal. This ability is highly desirable in an MBA candidate.

So gear up, round up your new team, and get going! You may also find this to be a great stress-buster during your MBA admission process. To do next : If you’re interested and are looking for team-matesor a playing arena, check out Playo, GroundWala or Athletto.

5. Learn to play a musical instrument

Almost nobody is immune to the charms of a talented musician. But how will learning a musical instrument help you impress an Adcom, you ask? Well, being able to play a musical instrument will not just add to the versatility of your B-school profile, but will act as an indicator of qualities such as discipline and creativity. You can also show the adcoms that you’re never too old to learn something new!

To do next : Like everything else in life, musical education has gone online too!Check this link for some of the best resources on learning an instrument online.

6. Sign up for a MOOC

Take up an online certification course (or courses) through Coursera, Udacity, or edX. There is a plethora of courses offered online. A course related to the subject you will be studying in your MBA will show the adcoms how serious you are about your goals. You can also do courses on leadership, creative thinking, etc. that will help you develop your skill-set.

To do next : You can check out some of the best websites that offer online courses here.

7. Participate in a new Adventure Sport

When was the last time you lived life on the edge? There are many benefits to dabbling in adventure sports such as river rafting, rock climbing, or bungee jumping, whether as a newbie or as a hard-core enthusiast. One of them is that it displays to the adcom your willingness to take risks and indulge in the spirit of adventure. Success, as they say, lies outside your comfort zone- and the adcom is on the lookout for candidates who are willing to step out of their comfort-zone to pursue success.

8. Write a Blog

Whether writing has been an interest of yours or not, you will find that polishing your writing skills will pay off when it comes to MBA admissions.Writing in a blog will give your recruiters credible proof of your flair for communication. Also, writing a blog will give you visibility and give you a channel to put your perspective out there. To write informed blog posts, you will have to read a lot – this will help you improve your research abilities. For all these reasons and more, a well-maintained blog is definitely a way to up your B-school profile.

9. Contribute to your Alma Mater

When you give back to your alma mater, it shows your commitment to the institution – this will reflect well on you since top B-schools look for candidates who would be part of their strong and committed alumni network. You can contribute to your alma mater financially, or show support as a guest lecturer or student mentor. The alumni-alma mater relationship is a mutually beneficial one- your contributions will benefit your alma mater by helping it uphold its popularity, and this will in turn contribute towards ensuring that the brand value of your education does not diminish.

To do next : Start by reading this article on how you can contribute to your college. Go to your college website, check out the alumni page, and take it from there!

10. Travel to a new place

“Nothing opens your mind or your eyes like travel.” Travelling opens you up to new geographies, cultures, and economies. The experiences you gain while travelling will develop your ability to relate to others, to negotiate well, and work with people from different backgrounds. So take some time off work to travel through all the countries you have always wanted to see!

A more interesting way to do this would be backpacking. Backpacking is a great opportunity to find joy in ambiguity and soak up experiences you never imagined undergoing. Backpacking is now made more exciting by concepts like couchsurfing.com. You will get to be a host to international travellers visiting your locality. As a host, you may open your home for travellers to stay, or be part of events where you can meet travellers in different cities. Meeting new people and gaining exposure to cultures from all over the world will add a great deal of shine to your MBA profile.

To do next : Need some inspiration? Start by reading a couple of excellent travel sites here and here! Want to get started? Check out this travel app!

11. Learn the basics of Finance

This is an important one if you do not have a background in management studies. A sound knowledge of the concepts like capital budgeting, capital structure, dividend policies, and risk and return is important to your post MBA job. Show the adcoms that you are dedicated towards your goals!

12. Continue a long lost Hobby

Playing the guitar, illustrating, dancing…did you do any of these while in school or college but later lose touch with it because of your busy work life? Now’s the perfect time to take your dancing shoes out of the closet and brush the dust off. You can also become part of meet-up groups to interact with people who share a similar passion. Hobbies give you joy, keep you creative, act as an outlet for stress, help you refocus on work- and look great on your B school resume!

13. Do your bit for the Environment

Many B-schools prefer candidates who have made a positive impact to the world around them (some schools, such as Said, Oxford, are very particular indeed about this aspect, as evidenced by their essay questions). Join a group or organization that works towards making the world a greener and cleaner place.

If you commute to work on bicycle instead of a car, you can be part of or start a bicyclers’ club. Or, you could start a club on a local scale to plant trees in your locality. You can help in waste management by doing simple things like advocating waste segregation in households, encouraging the recycling of paper and plastic, etc.

There are also youth groups in India’s cities that focus their efforts on beautifying their cities- join one of these to feel part of a larger whole and collect material for your application essays! To do next : Check out organizations that are doing great work in this space an explore if you can be their next volunteer!

14. Attend conferences related to your field

Attend conferences on topics in the area you want to work in post your MBA. You will find that there are several conferences taking place in the management institutes in your city. These are not just opportunities to gain knowledge and network with professionals, but they give you an enhanced perspective that will definitely show through in your essays and interviews with the Adcom.

To do next : You can find out here about conferences happening this year, and take part in the ones happening in your city. You can also check the conference pages of various premier B-schools and attend the ones that are open to public (check upcoming ISB conferences here.)

15. Work for a Startup

If you look back, our parents’ generation experienced career progression in a slow and steady fashion. No matter how sincere and talented they were, it was not easy for them to disrupt this pace and accelerate their learning curve.

Today, however, we have a profusion of founders and CTOs who are yet to hit their mid-twenties- because it is the age of the startup! How does working for a startup benefit you? Well, it could be a crash-course in leadership, dealing with ambiguity, managing stress, multi-tasking and so many ‘more useful skills!

If you’ve worked for a startup, especially one that’s on the rise, it tells the Adcom that you had the aptitude to survive in a dynamic workplace and that you had the courage to take the risk of working in an uncertain environment. To do next : Begin to explore the startup ecosystem and the best startups to work for here and here.

16. Become active on Twitter

Having a lot of followers on Twitter extends your influence- you’ll have social authority, and you can spread ideas and influence people. Posting valuable content that is worth retweeting, and commenting on relevant and trending news will increase your presence on the platform and bring you more followers. So, use your Twitter account to show the adcoms how influential and up-to-date you are when it comes to current events and trends.

17. Get involved in your Society’s General Body

Become a member of the Resident Welfare Association for your housing society. You can play a role that suits your interests. For example, you can work as secretary and conduct regular meetings to discuss the concerns of individuals, or you can even maintain the organizations’ funds as a treasurer.

You can also organize events in your housing society. Take charge of organizing a festive celebration, a cultural event for kids, a charity drive, or a fund raiser. This experience could have the potential to make for a good story in your essays. This experience will display your ability to take initiative and hone your team-playing skills.

To do next : Here’s a guide to apartment associations. Start by attending the next association meeting of your society to explore if this activity interests you.

18. Pick an ambitious project at work

For a great MBA profile, it is important to have a spike in your career in the last one to two years. So, pick up challenging projects at work that relate at least a little to the career path you aspire to pursue post your MBA. Take up responsibilities that you could use to build a story for your essays.

Most schools ask you to describe an instance where you showed leadership and/or problem solving skills. Start building experiences early on so you can pick the most impressive one of all your stories.

To do next : Read this and this. Initiate a one-on-one meeting with your manager and tell him/her that you want to take on high-visibility opportunities at work. Also, keep a constant lookout for new opportunities – read all company newsletters, network more within the organization and pay utmost attention during all those long meetings and conferences 🙂

19. Volunteer/ Work with Teach for India

Spend some of your free time on weekends volunteering at Teach for India. You can work as an assistant teacher in their classrooms, or in administration. Alternatively, you can apply for the Teach for India fellowship, which makes for a strong entry point to an MBA.

Either way, a stint at Teach for India will definitely add a great deal to your profile.

20. Read a new book every month

Reading keeps your mind stimulated and improves your speaking and writing skills. It will also indirectly help you with writing an impressive application essay, and you will probably never fumble for words in an interview or group discussion. So get a library or kindle membership, as the case may be, and use your time well with the pages of a book.

To do next : Here is a list of 50 books you need to pick up now, as an MBA aspirant. If you’re interested in finding out what others like you are reading, you can check out this social network for readers.

21. Join a Fitness Program

Following a fitness regime will make you energetic and disciplined, which will help you in all aspects of life, including your MBA admission process.

And if you have always been a fitness enthusiast, you can start a fitness club in your community, which will also credit you with leadership skills and the ability to take initiative.

To do next : Find a fitness program that strikes your fancy- whether it be yoga, dance, zumba or cross-training, and stick to it. If you find yourself wavering, get back on track by reading inspirational material, such as this.

22. Try your hand at something creative

Having a creative hobby, such as painting, pottery, or illustrating can add a touch of uniqueness to your profile. A creative skill, especially a self-taught one, reflects the fact that you are self-motivated and dedicated. Also, a creative hobby will train your brain to think more creatively even when it comes to work. You can engage your interviewers in an interesting conversation about your hobby that can set you apart from other candidates.

To do next : The sky’s the limit here! Are you wondering where to start? Here are some great hobby ideas.

23. Master your negotiation skills

Negotiation skills are an asset in any career path you choose. But when it comes to MBA admissions, it will help you greatly during your interview. Some positive results of mastering negotiation skills are the ability to communicate better and the ability to persuade.

You will be able to see the perspectives of all parties involved in a discussion, become better at understanding the nature of a discussion, and talk your way into making your interviewers understand why you are a perfect fit for their school.

24. Take part in Cross Functional Activities at Work

Cross-functional and cross-organizational events require a specific kind of leadership skill-set. They will require you to plan, coordinate with a team that has no formal structure, and delegate work to people that you may not even know.

A few examples of such activities:- When your team is hiring a new member, try to participate in the hiring process. You can help develop the selection criteria, participate in the interview, and give your inputs while making the final decision. Being a part of this process can reflect positively on your credibility within your organization, and show that you understand what makes for a great employee.

You can take part in the training process for new employees in your team, and conduct sessions in your area of expertise. Or you can act as a mentor to a junior to help him or her with their professional growth. This will further enhance your own skill level and will be a testament of your own professional development.

To show the adcoms that you take initiative and are a leader, start a club at work. It can be based on an interesting hobby or a skills development club such as Toastmasters. Your unique hobby and the activities you organized for it can make your profile stand out among others.

To do next : Speak to your HR manager or reporting manager to understand how you can pick projects that cut through teams. If you would like to explore Toastmasters, read this link on how to start a ToastmastersClub.

25. Junk TOI and start reading “The Economist”

Reading a ‘serious’ newspaper/magazine can do wonders to the way you perceive the world and articulate your ideas. The Economist covers news on international and regional economic trends that will help you understand the workings of the business world.

It carries articles on current events in politics, finance, business, science, and the arts from all regions of the world. You will not just be updated on news, but will get to read thoughtful analyses of important events. This kind of reading will sharpen your skills to put across well-structured arguments about various topics in your essays and interviews.

26. Write a Personal/ Daily Diary

This may not be something that will have a direct impact on your profile, but the benefits of writing a daily journal will definitely have a positive impact on you. Writing everyday will help you clarify and disentangle your thoughts and emotions, and you will be better at expressing yourself.

When writing a journal, you do not just write about an incident, but you go into the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’- that is to say, you introspect. Also, putting something down on paper creates a sense of accountability, and therefore you can use your daily diary to document your progress and stay on the straight and narrow path.

To do next : Did you know that you can now keep a personal, private journal online? Here’s how.

27. Learn the basics of Data Sciences

The job of a data analyst is most definitely an exciting one and one of the highest paid jobs. Even if this isn’t your post MBA dream job, a basic knowledge of data sciences will greatly benefit you in the heavily data-driven business world we are forging into.When you are able to manipulate and analyze data, make inferences and predictions, you have an edge when it comes to a job promotion or an MBA admission.

To do next : Sign up for an online course now to gain data science skills!

28. Become a Wikipedia Editor

Anybody can be a Wikipedia editor and work anonymously, but it requires a little effort to become a trusted member of the Wikipedia community. You can create a Wikipedia account and user page to get credit among the community. Creating an account will give you the ability to edit some articles that are locked from anonymous edits.

Also, being a Wikipedian, you will get to be part of meets like Wikimania and Wiknics, where you can socialize with fellow Wikipedians from around the world. How does this benefit you as a B-school aspirant? It adds to your coolness/quirkiness quotient!

29. Volunteer Overseas

Take a sabbatical from work and enroll for an overseas volunteer program through organizations such as Global Vision International and Projects Abroad. You can work in a country of your liking in areas like community development or wildlife rescue. Such a volunteering project is a great way to broaden your mind regarding social and environment issues and to broaden your network. Needless to say, an overseas volunteering stint is not something everybody is into- and hence, it could really help you differentiate yourself at a B-school.

To do next : To know about some interesting projects abroad, check out this link.

30. Practice your Oratory Skills

Having awesome public speaking skills is as desirable a quality in an MBA candidate, as it is in life. Make use of every such opportunity you get at work to hone this skill. With good public speaking skills, you can reach out to and influence a larger number of people. The ability to talk well to a large group of people is also a vital step towards becoming a great leader.

If you’re having trouble getting up on that pedestal, you can join a public speaking club and get an oratory make-over!

31. Meditate

Practicing mindfulness (through meditation, zentangling or whatever else strikes your fancy) improves both physical and mental health. It is proved to reduce stress and improve working memory and attention span. So, try practicing mindfulness as it would be a great way to clear your mind and prepare for your interviews.

To do next : Here is a fantastic site on the practice of mindfulness in daily life. You can check out apps like Headspace and Take a Break to help you get started.

32. Create a YouTube Channel and Post ‘How-To’ Videos

If you have a skill you are proud of,what better than sharing it with the world? You can create an explainer video series for any topic you can imagine! You can be as creative as you want when making your videos, using different techniques like animation, live-action, or anything else you can think of.

Posting how-to videos and gaining followers on your Youtube channel is not only a platform for you to show off your skills in that particular topic, but is also an opportunity to exhibit your creativity and increase your circle of influence.

33. Become a Top Contributor on Quora

You can become one of the ‘most viewed writers’ on Quora by answering queries on topics you are an expert in. Contribute frequently and thoughtfully, with quality answers and solutions. Pick specific topics that are related to your field of study so you can project your academic seriousness to the adcoms.

34. Spruce up your LinkedIn Profile

Make sure to keep your LinkedIn profile updated with your professional experience and skills, recommendations, and resume. Other than this, you can write quality articles on LinkedIn.

Since your connections as well as others can follow your posts, strong content can get you the right attention as you are already addressing the right professional audience on LinkedIn. Write articles that could be featured on LinkedIn Pulse as that will give you visibility amongst millions of users. This can help you gain a large number of followers and opportunities to engage with readers.

35. Kick an Unhealthy Habit

Losing those extra pounds or getting rid of an addiction is not that easy. It requires patience and a strong will power. So a feat like this shows that you are determined and focused. Not to mention, it would be good fodder for the ‘What are you most proud of’ essay that is common to many B-schools. Also, healthy habits keep you positive, and this will benefit your candidacy.

To do next : Read this thoughtful article on how to kick a bad habit. Introspect! Look at what changes you’d like to make to your life, if any.

36. Contribute to Newspapers and Magazines

Write to newspapers and magazines and get yourself published with a byline. You can write in the form of a letter to the editor, voicing your opinion on a current issue, or you can write an article for a magazine about the latest developments in an area of your interest. Most online publications have a ‘Write for Us’ section where you can submit your article.

A publication in a renowned newspaper or magazine will show to the Adcom that you are up-to-date on important issues, that you care enough to voice your opinion, and that you are articulate enough to be published! To do next : Research publications that are aligned to your areas of interest.

Check out the ‘write-for-us‘ or ‘contribute’ section to figure out how you can get your articles published.

37. Join a Political Party

Being part of a local political party will get you involved in the grassroots problems of your society. Awareness of governance policies and an in-depth awareness of the problems faced by your community prove your social consciousness. You can diversify yourself as an MBA candidate through your involvement in politics. Also, you can experience leadership in a completely different environment.

38. Be very active on GMAT/ MBA Forums

Be helpful! Share all that you’ve learned with your peers on GMATClub, BTG and any network you are following. Reciprocity is a powerful human emotion- if you help out fellow aspirants, you are widening the network of people who are at some stage likely to help you in return. Staying active in the B-school aspirant circle will also ensure that you stay updated about all new developments and trends in this space.

To do next : If you haven’t done so already, create an ID on GMATClub here and BeatTheGmat here.

39. Consider Part-Time Teaching

A teacher needs excellent interpersonal skills to interact with students and communicate ideas to them. The fact that you have had experience as a teacher would reflect your ability to articulate well and to guide a group of people. You can take up a part-time teaching position, or you can simply take tuition classes at home- both could make your profile look more desirable.

To do next : To start out on this path, you could upload your profile here.

40. Visit the B-School Campus

Visit the school you want to get into through freshman visits or group visits programs. You will have an opportunity to interact with students and the admission committee and also have a guided tour of the campus. This would give you a clearer picture of what the school is looking for in a candidate, and interaction with current students from the program you are applying to is always an added advantage.

To do next : Check out this article for useful tips on how to conduct your B-school campus visit.

Now that you know all the things you could do to improve your profile, here are two important points to keep in mind while you polish your B-school profile.

First, choose activities that would help you break the stereotype people would fit you into if they wanted to. For example, if you are one amongst the over-represented IIM (Indian IT Male) population, joining an NGO might not really distinguish you that much, because a LOT of Indian aspirants tend to have NGO experience on their resumes. Try and pick something unexpected that will stick in the minds of the Adcom. For example, if you are an accountant and showcase a skill that is not expected of an accountant, such as writing poetry, your profile will be memorable.

The second crucial point is that you need to understand the art of storytelling. Telling their stories well is not a skill that comes very naturally to most B-school aspirants. However, with a little guidance and practice, you can master the art of presenting your story in such a way as to make it sound unique and unforgettable. How do you get better at this? There are some great books available on pitching your B-school application well. Besides, you can also reach out to application consultants to help you frame a winning B-school application!

MONIKA KAMATH

Verbal Trainer

Monika Kamath is the head of Finance & Strategic Alliances at CrackVerbal. She is a seasoned banker with a social bent of mind merging finance, entrepreneurial spirit, and sound business principles. 14 years since her first class, Monika still enjoys guiding students face the challenge she once faced – the GMAT. In her spare time, she finds herself concentrating on fitness and is also lured by the art of story-telling.

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ARAVIND B T

Quant Trainer

Aravind is an alumnus of UVCE, Bangalore. As a student, Aravind would always feel that there were easier ways of explaining a concept and would end up experimenting with them when he helped his friends out with things they didn’t understand. This is when he discovered that he enjoyed teaching and he had a natural flair for it. As fate would have it, immediately after graduating with his engineering degree, he was picked up by a Test prep firm to teach Quant for CAT. There has been no looking back since then. He has 12 years of experience of having taught Quant for GMAT, GRE, CAT and other competitive exams.

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MATOO GUPTA

Quant & Verbal Trainer

Matoo is an Economics Masters graduate from the University of Amsterdam who loves gaming test strategies almost as much as he loves teaching. He was all set to go to business school and join the corporate world until he realised what he was truly passionate about was teaching and corrected course. He believes the best way to take on a test is to believe you can beat it first, and this comes through in his attitude and approach to teaching. When not coaching for the GMAT, Matoo is an avid cricket and football fan, loves hip-hop and is a total History, Philosophy & Politics nut.

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SHRIKANTH SINGH

Verbal Trainer

Shrikant is an alumnus of ISB Hyderabad and IIT Kharagpur. He has 4 years of work experience in Analytics pre MBA and is currently part of the Amazon India Business team as a Sr. Category Manager. A travel junkie at heart, Shrikant has a special affinity to Goa and visits the place once every quarter. He loves using humor to teach his students as he believes it aids in their learning process and is always on the lookout for new opportunities to engage his class.

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ANKIT SHAH

MBA Mentor | Said Business School

Ankit graduated from Said Business School (University of Oxford) in 2016 and currently works as a Senior Product and Change Manager at Tesco. His role sits within the Supply Chain department for the largest grocery retailer in UK (world’s third largest retailer by profits). Prior to that, he has 5 years of experience in Project Management for IT solutions delivery for Fortune 500 consumer goods and retail customers across the US, UK, LATAM and Europe.
With a keen interest in volunteering and pro bono consulting, Ankit cares for social issues and engages closely with non-profits in India and UK

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SIDDHARTH SOMASUNDARAN

MBA Mentor, NUS Business School, Singapore

Siddharth is an alumnus of the NUS Business School, Singapore and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from India. He has worked across functions predominantly in Marketing & Sales Operations at Siemens and GE for close to a decade and is now a Director of Business Development for a leading Artificial Intelligence company headquartered in Singapore.
He has also been an Assistant Facilitator at NUS Business School for a module on ‘Leadership and Communication’ targeted at master’s students. His passions include playing football, scuba diving and mentoring. As a mentor at CrackVerbal, he aspires to make a meaningful difference in the lives of MBA aspirants through consultative coaching on a wide range of MBA related topics.

Sounds like someone you’d like to connect and work with for your MBA journey?

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MATOO GUPTA

Quant & Verbal Trainer

Matoo is an Economics Masters graduate from the University of Amsterdam who loves gaming test strategies almost as much as he loves teaching. With a GRE score of 336 and a CAT percentile of 98.2, he was all set to go to business school and join the corporate world until he realised what he was truly passionate about was teaching and corrected course. He believes the best way to take on a test is to believe you can beat it first, and this comes through in his attitude and approach to teaching. When not coaching for the GRE, Matoo is an avid cricket and football fan, loves hip-hop and is a total History, Philosophy & Politics nut.

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Shreekala Kurup

Application Mentor

Shreekala, COO at CrackVerbal, has a strong background in operations (PMP, Six Sigma), accrued during her 7-year stint with Hewlett-Packard, where she worked in client facing roles for marquee customers. She is a fellow of the ISB Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs program. At Crackverbal, Shreekala has channeled her corporate experience and deep understanding of the world of management to help thousands of students and professionals make the right choices amongst a plethora of options.

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ADITYA KUMAR

Quant Trainer

Aditya is an engineer by qualification, an alumnus of the famous M.S Ramaih institute of Technology. His foray into teaching was a serendipitious accident, but once he discovered how good he was at it, he has not looked back. He has 3 years of test-prep experience, teaching GMAT, GRE and SAT. His super-power is his ability to uncomplicate a tangled mess of information into simple, byte-sized facts. He loves numbers and think they tell a story, if you listen closely enough. His favorite pursuits on a weekend are reading, playing football, and heading to the newest zomato-recommended restaurant on the block.

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ADITYA KUMAR

Quant Trainer

Aditya is an engineer by qualification, an alumnus of the famous M.S Ramaih institute of Technology. His foray into teaching was a serendipitious accident, but once he discovered how good he was at it, he has not looked back. He has 3 years of test-prep experience, teaching GMAT, GRE and SAT. His super-power is his ability to uncomplicate a tangled mess of information into simple, byte-sized facts. He loves numbers and think they tell a story, if you listen closely enough. His favorite pursuits on a weekend are reading, playing football, and heading to the newest zomato-recommended restaurant on the block.

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SHRIKANTH SINGH

Industry Mentor

Shrikant is an alumnus of ISB Hyderabad and IIT Kharagpur. He has 4 years of work experience in Analytics pre MBA and is currently part of the Amazon India Business team as a Sr. Category Manager. A travel junkie at heart, Shrikant has a special affinity to Goa and visits the place once every quarter. He loves using humor to teach his students as he believes it aids in their learning process and is always on the lookout for new opportunities to engage his class.

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SANNIDHI JHALA

MBA Mentor | ISB

Sannidhi is an ISB Alumnus with 6 years of experience in multiple FMCG functions such as front-end Key-Account management, Supply chain operations and back-end Manufacturing. Sannidhi is also a trained soft skills coach for associates in India and Nepal. Sannidhi majored in Marketing and Strategy from ISB and has extensive industry knowledge to guide future MBA aspirants on the path of Marketing and Strategy management.

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SANNIDHI JHALA

Verbal Trainer

Sannidhi has over 5 years of experience across the operations field. She is an alumnus of Indian School of Business -Hyderabad, majoring in Marketing & Strategy and is currently working for beverage giant, Coca-Cola as an Area Key Accounts Manager. At CrackVerbal, she is both an admissions consultant and a GMAT trainer with a focus on teaching RC the right way!

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ARUN JAGANNATHAN

Verbal Trainer

Arun has trained and mentored over 6000 students for the GMAT, GRE and applications in the past 12 years. Arun has personally designed the CrackVerbal GMAT curriculum from the ground up to include every feature he saw as missing in traditional courses and has also devised all-new techniques to help out students. He is an active and well-respected member on popular online GMAT forums such as Pagalguy.com (member since 2003, and one of the official MBA consultants), beatthegmat.com and gmatclub.com.

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SUDHANSHU DUTTA

MBA Mentor | Judge School of Business

Sudhanshu is an alumnus of Judge School of Business, Cambridge and works as a Principal Consultant with TechnoPak Advisors. He has 7+ years of experience across FMCG and agricultural product companies, in geographies such as the Middle-east, Africa and East Asia, in supply chain management and logistics. At CrackVerbal, he leverages his diverse knowledge and experiences to inspire clients to find the careers and B-schools that best fit them.

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AL AMEEN SHERFUDDEEN

MBA Mentor | ISB

Al-Ameen is an alumnus of ISB Hyderabad. He is a digital marketing enthusiast who has worked with many top brands in helping them re-target their audience. Al-Ameen is a backpacker, rapper, karaoke artist and emcee who has been featured in the Economic Times. Currently, he works as a senior account manager at Visual IQ, in the marketing attribution and analytics space.

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PRADYOT ANAND

MBA Mentor | ISB

Pradyot has 10+ years of professional experience spanning strategy & planning, management consulting, and technology across industries in Asia, USA, and Eastern Europe. An alumnus of ISB Hyderabad, Pradyot graduated in the top 10% of the ISB batch and made the Dean’s List. He has served on the Admissions Interview Panel at ISB for many years and mentored many successful MBA candidates. He is an expert on all things MBA and knows exactly what makes an AdCom tick.

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AKSHAY YADHAV

MBA Mentor| Haas School of Business

Akshay is currently a student at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. He started his career in the telecom industry after completing his undergraduate degree in engineering, and then started his own venture, an environmental non-profit related to solid waste management in Bangalore. He is passionate about technology, sustainability and energy and is exploring these areas at Haas. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring, trekking, biking, and cooking.

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ARUN JAGANNATHAN

MBA Coach

Founder and CEO at CrackVerbal, Arun brings to the table expert insights into the value of an MBA. Much of this knowledge he accrued over the years, as a mentor to hundreds of students who walked the MBA path and made transitions to their post-MBA careers. He also brings with him a plethora of information specific to individual programs given his extensive network among the B-school community, including admissions committee members at top-B schools across the globe. Arun provides guidance to MBA aspirants on forums such as BeattheGMAT, GMATClub and Quora.

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ARUNA PRABHAKARN

MBA Mentor | Wharton School of Business

Aruna is a Wharton alumnus with 12 years of work experience in the healthcare industry. Her track record includes advisory and execution for change management initiatives, Vendor selection strategy for population health, Digital design, business process improvement and transformation. Aruna also has significant start-up experience as a product development manager for ZeOmega’s Jiva platform developing care management workflow solutions

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MRUNALINI BHATE

MBA Mentor | Oxford School of Business

Mrunalini graduated from Oxford, MBA class of 2015. She has 6 years of advisory experience and works for a Big4’s Global Structuring team in Singapore. She is an expert in pricing cross border transactions and building tax-effective structures for clients in e-commerce, manufacturing, FMCG and banking. Mrunalini is a Chartered Accountant from India and an ACCA charter-holder from Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK. Having lived earlier in Mumbai, Hong Kong, and UK, she cherishes her truly international MBA experience. She is passionate about helping MBA aspirants. As a part of the Alumni Panel at Oxford Business Alumni Singapore Chapter, she regularly mentors prospective students. In her free time, she enjoys networking, traveling and adventure sports.

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NAMRATHA SHETTY

MBA Mentor | Said Business School

Namratha Shetty graduated from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (UK) in 2013, and has a B.E. degree in Electronics & Communications. She strongly believes in the motto – ‘Persevere to the end’, and used to be a National-level swimmer representing Karnataka. Namratha has a total of 8.5 years of experience across the FMCG (3 years till date) and Technology (5.5 years) industries, with nearly 6.5 years in the Marketing function.

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RAHUL CHOWDHURY

MBA Mentor | Kellogg School of Management

Rahul has more than 10 years experience in creating and running $ 100 Million+ businesses. He has a proven track record of delivering on challenging marketing assignments across emerging and developed markets. He is a 2013 graduate from Kellogg School of Management and currently works as a Marketing Manager for the Billion $ brand ‘Lysol’ based out of New York. Prior to Kellogg, he was a Brand Manager growing ITC’s INR 450 crore confectionary business and spearheaded the team responsible for ITCs entry into the ‘Chewing Gums’ industry. Rahul also has a bachelor in Computer Engineering from NIT. Rahul is closely involved in the Kellogg NY chapter and is also an active admission panel member for Kellogg. He is the winner of multiple national case competitions / paper writing competition and has represented Kellogg in Ivy league Marketing competitions.

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GAUTHAM MUTHUKUMAR

MBA Mentor | Indian School Of Business

Gautham is an ISB & NIT Trichy alumnus with an overall experience of 6 years in IT and related industries. He started his career as software developer in the telecommunication industry. Later he worked as a technology consultant with Deloitte and is currently working with Amazon as a program manager where he manages a 50+ member tech-ops team. He majored in technology and finance domains at ISB and graduated as a part of dean’s list (top 10% of the batch). He also received the torch-bearer award at ISB given to 5% of the students for making significant contribution to the school. He enjoys teaching and mentoring students of all age groups. He likes to follow comics in his leisure time.

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RITWIK VERMA

MBA Mentor | Carnegie Mellon University

Starting my career in Accenture, I worked in Business Intelligence domain for 6 years. In this duration, I worked for clients across Retail, Pharmaceuticals, Utilities and Capital Markets. With the intent to build a career in technology, I decided to pursue an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. An internship opportunity at eBay allowed me to understand the challenges of technology leadership role as a Product Manager. I joined eBay full time as a Senior Product Manager and currently lead key initiatives driving customer trust for eBay globally.

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SATHISH SELVADHURAI

MBA Mentor |Indian School of Business

Satish is an ISB alumnus and a recipient of the ‘ISB Torch Bearer’ award. He is a highly motivated professional who is currently heading the online B2C sales at Aditya Birla Fashion & retail. Satish was also recognized as one of India’s most promising young managers under the age of 30 by the Economic times in 2017.

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SHERIN KURIAN

MBA Mentor | Duke – Fuqua School of Business

Sherin is an MBA with Fuqua School of Business (Duke Univerisity). Currently she works for Apple and is based out of Sunnyvale California. She has extensive experience working on Supply Chain Management and currently manages the Supply Chain for Apple phones. She worked with Oracle for 4 years before her MBA at Duke. She has been mentoring many students over the years now to get into Top schools.

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MANOJ PUTHANVEETIL

Verbal Trainer

Manoj is a Management Graduate from the University of Leicester, UK. After working in various roles with different companies, he discovered his passion for training and has been in the industry for over 3 years. He is a certified TESOL trainer through Oxford Trinity College, London and has brought his love for and strength in the English language into Verbal training for competitive exams such as GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS and TOEFL. He believes that the classroom is his stage and brings all his energy into the classroom to put on a very engaging and informative show.

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SAVIO D’SOUZA

Verbal Trainer

Savio is as alumnus of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Despite having an enriching corporate working experience, Savio likes spending his weekends with GMAT aspirants giving them all it takes to ace the GMAT. His students like him for the energy he exudes in class.

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MANOJ PUTHANVEETIL

Verbal Trainer

Manoj is a Management Graduate from the University of Leicester, UK. After working in various roles with different companies, he discovered his passion for training and has been in the industry for over 3 years. He is a certified TESOL trainer through Oxford Trinity College, London and has brought his love for and strength in the English language into Verbal training for competitive exams such as GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS and TOEFL. He believes that the classroom is his stage and brings all his energy into the classroom to put on a very engaging and informative show.

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ARUN JAGANNATHAN

Verbal Trainer

Arun, founder and CEO at CrackVerbal, has trained and mentored over 4000 students for the GMAT, GRE and applications in the past 11 years.Arun has personally designed the CrackVerbal GRE curriculum from the ground up to include every feature he saw as missing in traditional courses and has also devised all-new techniques to help out students. His expertise in the subject helps him understand the specific pain points that students face on the test

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SALONI CHOUHAN

Verbal Trainer

Always the one with the mic, Saloni invariably had the knack for public speaking. Before she realized it, she entered the teaching field and never looked back. Teaching became her first love and interaction with students her forte. Having all the experiences of being a student, she believes in making the class informative and fun in turn enabling the students’ to unlock their inner champion and potential. When not teaching the GRE, Saloni can be found enjoying the great outdoors, listening to music and relishing incredible food.